Stair-sweeper



YUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

F. H. MOORE, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

STAIR-SWEEPER.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 22,301, dated December 14, 1858.

To all who/m it may concern:

Be it known that I, F. H. MOORE, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and Improved Stair-Sweeper, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a longitudinal vertical section. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section on the line m, of Fig. 1.

In using the ordinary hand dust pan, the dust is liable to be swept over the person and dress of the operator, and also to rise in the room and settle upon the furniture.

To obviate these objections is the object of my present invention, which consists in operating the brush within a box or cover which prevents the escape of the dust, as will be more fully s'et forth hereafter.

That others skilled in the art may understand my invention I will proceed to describe the manner in which I have carried the same into effect.

In the said drawino A represents a tread of a step, B is a box of tin or other suitable material the bottom being open for a considerable portion of its length or from a, to

b, the remainder of the length is occupied by a pan O, the back c, of which forms one end of the box and has attached to it a handle D. The sides (l, of the pan fit within the sides of the box B, and have secured to them small. tubes c, e2. A rod is attached at one end at 5, to each of the sides of the box, so that when the pan is inserted into the end of the box, in the position shown in the drawings, the rod f, enters the upper tube e. This and a turnbuckle g, on the back c, of the pan secures it in place. The frontedges 6, of the sides of the pan are curved out to fit the front of the step A. Then however' the pan is to be used on a level surface instead of on the stairway, the pan C, is inserted into the end of the box higher up, so

that the bottom of the pan shall be at a level with the lower edges of the box B, when the rods f, will enter the lower tubes e2.

In the top of the box B, is formed a longitudinal slot h, which extends nearly the whole length of the to, of the box or from o2, to Z22, and is of su cient width to allow free play to the handle of the brush E, which is inserted from the lower side of the box. To prevent the dust from rising through this slot, it is covered by a curtain F. which is hung loosely on rods Z, by rings 2; these rods are placed one on each side of the slot, and are secured to the ends of the box B. The handle lc, of the brush is passed through a hole m, in the middle of the curtain. The curtain is made so long that the brush may be moved freely along in the slot l, without uncovering the slot.

Operation: If the stairs are to be swept, the pan C is placed in the position shown in the drawings. The operator holding the pan with one hand by the handle I), with the other hand moves the brush E, back and forth in the box as in the ordinary method of sweeping, the handle 7c, sliding back and forth in the slot z.; the length or fullness of the curtain F allows of this motion without uncovering the slot h. Then a level surface as a portion of the floor of a room is to be swept, the pan O, is moved up to its other position or with the rods f, in the tubes e2, and the brush is operated in a similar manner. When the sweeping is completed the pan O, may be removed from the box, by turning the buckle g and drawing out the pan.

Instead of having the slot 7l, in the top of the box it may be placed in the side, and a brush may be used which has its bristles set at right angles to the axis of the handle.

The pan O, may be adjusted by means of slots and pins so that it may be varied in position and accommodate itself to the width of step.

That I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- V 1. The combination of the box B, and brush E, with the dust pan C, arranged and operating in the manner substantially as described whereby the dust is prevented from escaping as set forth.

2. And in combination wit-h the above I claim the curtain F operating substantially in the manner specified.

F. H. MOORE.

l/Vitnesses THos. R. ROACH, P. E. TESCHEMACHER. 

